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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/26212279">Jealous?</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/chvotic/pseuds/chvotic'>chvotic</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Irondad/Peter Parker Whump Fics [18]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Marvel Cinematic Universe, Spider-Man (Tom Holland Movies)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Angst, Children, Crying, Cuddling &amp; Snuggling, Domestic Fluff, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Father-Son Relationship, Gen, Heart-to-Heart, Jealousy, Might be Out of Character, Nicknames, Nightmares, Parent Pepper Potts, Parent Tony Stark, Pepper Potts Acting as Peter Parker's Parental Figure, Platonic Cuddling, Post-Avengers: Endgame (Movie), Protective Pepper Potts, Protective Tony Stark, Reconciliation, References to Depression, Separation Anxiety, Sibling Rivalry, Siblings, Tony Stark Acting as Peter Parker's Parental Figure, Tony Stark Lives, Tony Stark Loves Peter Parker, Tony Stark is Good With Kids</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-08-31</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-08-31</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-18 04:47:58</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>5,717</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/26212279</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/chvotic/pseuds/chvotic</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>“Peter, honey, are you okay?” Pepper asked, but before he could reply, Morgan was screaming again.</p>
<p>“I want <em>Daddy!</em>” </p>
<p>Pepper’s attention was snatched away from him in an instant, and Peter couldn’t help but deflate. </p>
<p>
  <em>He wanted Tony, too.</em>
</p>
<p>Or</p>
<p>Months after the snap, Peter isn't coping. Tony's daughter hating him only added onto the weight that rested on his shoulders.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Peter Parker &amp; Morgan Stark (Marvel Cinematic Universe), Peter Parker &amp; Pepper Potts, Peter Parker &amp; Tony Stark</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Irondad/Peter Parker Whump Fics [18]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/1700947</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>25</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>821</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Jealous?</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>morgan is kind of mean in this one oops...</p>
<p>nonetheless, hope you enjoy!</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Peter didn’t hate Morgan, of course he didn’t.</p>
<p>He didn’t dislike her, either. He loved her like she was his sister.</p>
<p>Morgan was so bright, so energetic and happy, and so much like Tony it was uncanny. Peter loved her the second Tony introduced her, and at first, things had been okay. He’d play with Morgan, hang out with Tony and Pepper, and things would be good. As good as they could be after everything that had happened.</p>
<p>After Thanos, things couldn’t have been more different.</p>
<p>Peter remembered dying. He remembered staring into Tony’s eyes as his body tore itself apart piece by piece. He remembered crying for Tony and telling him he didn’t want to go. These memories tortured him at all times of the day, even when he was asleep. The nightmares were almost unbearable, and more often than not he woke up screaming and crying. Thankfully, May had only heard him a few times. Most of the time she was at work.</p>
<p>His nightmares consisted of his own death, Tony’s death, his friend’s deaths. Among those were old memories from Homecoming. Memories he was sure he was never going to get over.</p>
<p>One moment, he’d been crying for Tony, telling him that he didn’t want to go whilst in the most pain he’d been in in his entire life. Then, a second after he closed his eyes and disintegrated, he was awake again and Tony was gone. The agony was gone, and his body was whole again. To him, his actual death had lasted five seconds.</p>
<p>He couldn’t describe what he felt when he found out it had been five years. In the moment, when Strange told him, he was far too filled with adrenaline to comprehend the words. After Tony snapped his fingers, after Peter found out about Morgan, after he saw the havoc that had consumed the world… it hit him. It hit him hard.</p>
<p>Peter had missed so much. He’d missed Tony and Pepper’s wedding. His own graduation, which didn’t really matter because they were repeating the year. Half of his grade had grown up and graduated. Peter, technically, was supposed to be twenty-one.</p>
<p>Yet, he hadn’t aged a bit.</p>
<p>The world was <em>different</em>. Peter knew it would never be the same again.</p>
<p>Tony had a <em>daughter</em> now. Even a few people who used to be in his gradehad babies.</p>
<p>Everything about the world had changed and Peter had no idea how to cope with it. He read articles from twenty-eighteen; from the day he had gone into space with Tony. He watched footage of the snap, or the blip, whatever people had decided to call it. Peter even found footage from when Tony resurfaced, months after Peter died.</p>
<p>He looked like a wreck. Peter never wanted to see his mentor like that again.</p>
<p>Watching numerous videos of that day kept Peter up at night. He would scroll through his old classmate’s social medias, the dates strange to him. To Peter, it still felt like twenty-eighteen. Not twenty-twenty three.</p>
<p>Even now, months on, he found himself in tears at least once a day. Everything was so <em>different.</em></p>
<p>But, when he was around people, he would pretend like nothing was wrong. At school, no one seemed to be bothered by half the school returning after five years. There were so many strangers, so many people, like Brad, that were now in his grade. Peter almost didn’t recognise them. His new class were filled with people he didn’t even know.</p>
<p>He would put on a mask for May, for Ned, for MJ and for Tony. He would pretend like every time he looked at Tony, he didn’t think about how he’d almost seen the man die on the battlefield after saving the universe. He’d pretend he didn’t know five years had passed, since that’s what the world seemed to be doing.</p>
<p>Peter had missed five years’ worth of movies, birthdays, milestones. Five years of his life had been cut out, yet he came back the exact same age as if nothing had happened. Regularly, in school, he would write twenty-eighteen as the date. His teachers that hadn’t dusted would notice and give him a sad look and gently correct him.</p>
<p>Despite it being something so small, such a small difference made him want to break down and cry.</p>
<p>He hated it. He hated this new world. He hated how he didn’t fit into it.</p>
<p>More often than not, Peter would go to the Stark’s on the weekends. At first, things had been good. He was with Tony through his recovery, which expanded over a few months, but with the assistance of Wakandan technology, he was almost back to normal. Whatever that was. The man now had a metal arm, just like the Winter Soldier.</p>
<p>Things had been good in the sense that he was with his mentor, with Pepper, with Morgan. At first, he had gotten along well with Morgan. Peter saw so many similarities between her and Tony it made him want to breakdown.</p>
<p>Sometimes, he had. Tony would be there to hold him through it, and while the behaviour wasn’t new to Peter, it was different. Tony had become softer, gentler. Older, obviously.</p>
<p>Whenever Peter stayed over, he would notice new things. The way Tony figured out what was wrong with him with practised, parental ease. The way the man would tuck him into bed, gaze warm and loving. Peter recognised it, but it had become much more prominent. The Tony he used to know was more guarded.</p>
<p>Tony was different, and while it wasn’t necessarily bad, because he loved to see his father figure so happy and carefree despite his injury, it reminded him of how much Peter had missed.</p>
<p>For about a month, things with Morgan had been good. Peter thought of her as a sister. However, the longer Tony was away in Wakanda recovering, the more hostile Morgan became with Peter. Peter understood, she was missing her Dad. Peter was missing his Dad, too. But Morgan seemed to think it was his fault.</p>
<p>And now, it was early into twenty-nineteen, or <em>twenty-twenty four</em>, Peter still wasn’t okay.</p>
<p>The world wasn’t normal. Not Peter’s normal.</p>
<p>Morgan still hated him.</p>
<p>And here Peter sat, outside by the lake with Morgan, hugging his knees as he sat on a tiny chair meant for kids. Morgan hid in her tent, hid from <em>him</em>, as Pepper made lunch inside. Peter held a small doll in his hands, it’s creepy face staring up at him.</p>
<p>The five-year-old hadn’t spoken to him since he’d arrived, since Tony had left to deal with some Avengers business for the day. Peter didn’t want Tony to go.</p>
<p>He never wanted to leave Tony’s side again.</p>
<p>Peter was aware he probably had some kind of separation anxiety. May had even mentioned it to him one night when Peter woke up from a nightmare begging to go to the lake house. He’d denied it, but May wasn’t stupid. He knew at some point, if it happened again, she would tell Tony.</p>
<p>Peter couldn’t afford for that to happen. Tony had Morgan now. He had his own, biological child, something that Peter was not and would never be. No, he wasn’t jealous, or at least he didn’t think he was. He liked seeing Tony happy, and if it was without him, then so be it.</p>
<p>Tony didn’t need him anymore.</p>
<p>And it <em>hurt.</em></p>
<p>The thoughts brought tears to his eyes, Peter frantically wiping them away when they began to slip down his cheeks. He missed how they used to be. He missed what it used to be like before he went to space, before Thanos. Before he died. He missed everything.</p>
<p>He wanted Tony. All he could see was the man’s charred face as he leant against the debris, arm scorching from the snap. All Peter could hear was his own voice crying for Tony, telling him that they <em>won</em>. That he did it.</p>
<p>Peter buried his face in his hands and took a few deep breaths. He couldn’t afford to be more of a burden on the Stark’s than he already was.</p>
<p>Once he had his emotions under control, he lifted his head and took a deep breath. The cold air soothed him to some degree, however he was freezing. He was never good at thermoregulating, and it was just on the end of Winter. It was still cold out.</p>
<p>As if on cue, Morgan came out of her tent, making dead eye contact with him when he looked down at her. For a moment, none of them said a word. Peter offered her a kind, genuine smile despite the tears that burned in his eyes. For the hundredth time, Peter had the tiniest amount of hope that things could change, that Morgan could love him the way he loved her. Like a brother.</p>
<p>Morgan was incredibly good at hiding her dislike for Peter in front of her parents. Something she had probably gotten from Tony; and incredible talent for hiding her real emotions. Even for a four-year-old.</p>
<p>As always, Morgan didn’t return his smile and broke the eye contact to pick up one of her toys.</p>
<p>“Do you want to play?” Peter asked after a moment, false hope igniting in his chest yet again. He picked up the creepy doll he’d been holding in preparation if she said yes.</p>
<p>Peter watched as Morgan picked up a small Iron Man figurine, his senses picking up the incoming impact before it happened. At the same time, his heart broke just a little more. He didn’t move as the toy came flying toward him, and within seconds the toy hit him right in the middle of his forehead. The contact surprisingly hurt, which caused him to wince as the figurine landed in his lap.</p>
<p>“No! I want you to go away!” Morgan screamed, which caused Peter to flinch from the sheer volume of her voice. Dejected, Peter tried to keep the tears in as he watched the little girl fume in front of him, tears also filling her eyes. Peter didn’t understand what he had done wrong, he had just been sitting there. He was just trying to be nice; he was trying to be a good brother. “I don’t like you! Go away! I want Daddy!”</p>
<p>Peter let a few tears drop, quickly wiping them away when Morgan’s brown eyes, identical to Tony’s, zoned in on him again.</p>
<p>Her glare was the same as Tony’s.</p>
<p>“Go away!”</p>
<p>“What is going on out here?” Pepper’s voice echoed from the porch, filled with both concern and alarm. “Peter? Morgan? Is everything alright?”</p>
<p>Peter blanched, quickly wiping his face as he stood up, trying not to let the panic in. He didn’t say anything, unable to look at Pepper as she hurried over to Morgan, kneeling down and grabbing her face in her hands.</p>
<p>“What happened? Are you hurt, sweetheart?” She asked, eyes flickering to Peter. She seemed to do a double take when she saw him, Peter cursing himself internally because she knewhe was crying. Like Tony, there had been a change in Pepper too. Both adults had become incredibly good at knowing when there was something wrong with Morgan or Peter. “Peter? What happened?”</p>
<p>“I don’t know, I’m- I’m sorry.” Peter stammered, taking a few steps back, the Iron Man figurine still clutched in his hands. He stumbled a little, his chest closing in. A panic attack was on the horizon, yet he didn’t even know why. “I’m sorry- She just- I don’t know what I did-”</p>
<p>“Morgan, what happened?” Pepper asked again, eyeing her child, concerned.</p>
<p>Morgan kept her lips sealed, staring at the ground with her arms crossed. The three of them were in silence for a little while longer before Pepper sighed and stood up, grabbing Morgan’s hand. She looked back to Peter, confusion evident on her face. Underneath the confusion was the obvious expression of worry.</p>
<p>“Peter, honey, are you okay?” Pepper asked, but before he could reply, Morgan was screaming again.</p>
<p>“I want <em>Daddy</em>!”</p>
<p>Pepper’s attention was snatched away from him in an instant, and Peter couldn’t help but deflate.</p>
<p>
  <em>He wanted Tony, too.</em>
</p>
<p>“I know, baby, I know. He’ll be back tonight, remember?” Pepper consoled her child as she lifted her onto her hip. Morgan glared at Peter for a moment before burying her head in her mother’s shoulder, letting out a guttural sob. Peter felt like doing the same, but he held it in and tried his hardest to breathe. “Do you want to go inside, honey?”</p>
<p>Pepper wasn’t looking at him, rather at the house, Peter seeing Morgan nod. For a moment, Peter thought he might have been forgotten as Pepper walked away from him, but she turned around when Peter didn’t move.</p>
<p>“Coming, Peter?”</p>
<p>Peter nodded, wiping his eyes again, ashamed. He followed Pepper and Morgan inside, trying to avoid the stink eye that Morgan was sending him over Pepper’s shoulder. Instead of going into the living room with them, he went up into his room and got his homework out, hearing Morgan’s happy screams as she played with Pepper downstairs like nothing had happened.</p>
<p>He knew her mood had changed because Peter wasn’t there to annoy her.</p>
<p>Somehow, he successfully prevented the panic attack from consuming him as he fully immersed himself in his homework. However, when he saw the date he had written at the top of the page, he almost screamed in frustration.</p>
<p>
  <em>20/02/2019</em>
</p>
<p>He wasn’t sure how long he sat there staring at the wrong date before there was a gentle knock on the door.</p>
<p>“Peter, sweetheart?” Pepper’s kind voice called out. “Can I come in?”</p>
<p>“Yeah.” Peter replied, and soon his door was squeaking open.</p>
<p>“I brought you some lunch.” She smiled at him, though she was obviously still worried. Despite this, Peter returned the smile to the best of his ability, accepting the plate that had a sandwich on it. “Are you alright?”</p>
<p>“Yeah, I’m fine.” Peter replied as he picked up the sandwich. “Thank you for lunch.”</p>
<p>“Of course.” She smiled again, then rested a hand on his shoulder. Peter watched her for a moment, a little embarrassed when her eyes glanced over his homework. She obviously saw the wrong date, because her expression became a little sadder when her eyes returned to his. “What happened outside with Mo, honey? You seemed pretty upset.”</p>
<p>“Oh, it’s nothing.” Peter dismissed the concern, even though he wanted to open up about Morgan hating him. “I just… um… got overwhelmed.”</p>
<p>Which wasn’t a lie.</p>
<p>Pepper’s expression softened as she huffed out a small chuckle. “Morgan’s a little much sometimes, I know that.”</p>
<p>Peter laughed, genuinely. Even though his thoughts were currently all over the place.</p>
<p>“Are you sure that’s all?” Pepper seemed to know there was something else bothering him.</p>
<p>“I miss Tony.” Peter sighed.</p>
<p>“Oh, sweetheart.” Pepper brushed some curls from his face. Peter leaned into the touch with a soft sigh, having been craving a comforting touch all day. “Would you like to come watch a movie with Morgan and I? You can pick, if you like. I’m sure she won’t mind”</p>
<p>God did Peter want to. But he knew Morgan would mind. Very much.</p>
<p>“I might FaceTime Ned.” Peter replied. “Is that okay?”</p>
<p>“What? Of course, that’s okay. You don’t need to ask.” Pepper grinned at him, then ruffled his hair. “Let me know if you need anything. Have fun talking with Ned.”</p>
<p>Then, she kissed his forehead. Peter almost burst into tears.</p>
<p>Once she was gone, Peter rubbed his face and let out a shaky sigh.</p>
<p>Then, he pulled out his phone. He hadn’t been lying, he had been meaning to FaceTime Ned.</p>
<p>And that is exactly what he did.</p>
<p>-</p>
<p>Peter didn’t emerge from his room for the rest of the day. His call with Ned ended a few hours ago, and all he had done since then was stare at the ceiling, just thinking about how much his world had changed.</p>
<p>At around five, he could hear Tony’s car coming down the gravel driveway. Then, a car door opened and closed. Seconds later, Morgan was yelling Tony’s name, Tony greeting her in an equally loud tone. They sounded so happy.</p>
<p>Peter curled up on his side in bed and burrowed underneath his blankets. He loved that they were happy.</p>
<p>He just wished he could be happy too.</p>
<p>Was he jealous? No. He didn’t think he was, and he hoped it didn’t come across that way. What would Tony think of that?</p>
<p>He had been so deep in his thoughts that he didn’t notice the footsteps approaching his room, or the door opening. It wasn’t until the bed moved that Peter realised that someone else was in his room, and that someone else was Tony.</p>
<p>Peter jolted, but otherwise didn’t move. Tony rested a hand on his head and began to gently massage his scalp, something that had always been so soothing. Peter melted under the touch, tears still burning in his eyes.</p>
<p>“Hey Underoos.” Tony greeted; tone quiet. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to scare you.”</p>
<p>Peter huffed out a watery laugh. Tony must have noticed, because for a split second, his hand stiffened.</p>
<p>“Bud?” Tony asked, shifting a little. “Are you okay? Pep told me you weren’t feeling good.”</p>
<p>Peter wanted to tell Tony everything, but what if he thought he was jealous of Morgan? What if he didn’t let Peter come around anymore?</p>
<p>“I missed you.” Peter mumbled, then rolled over so he could see his father figure’s face. Tony was looking down at him with one of the saddest expressions that it made Peter tear up even more, and he couldn’t help but sit up and lurch forward to bury his face in Tony’s chest. That was something else that had changed. <em>They were there now.</em>“’M sorry.”</p>
<p>Peter knew he made a mistake when Tony tensed, but a moment later, the tension was released, and Tony’s arms wrapped around his shoulders.</p>
<p>“I missed you too, kiddo.” Peter couldn’t help it. Against his will, he started to cry, shoulders jolting with the effort to keep his sobs in. “Oh, baby. It’s okay. I’m right here.”</p>
<p>Peter crumbled even more from the pet name, squeezing Tony just a bit tighter as he cried. His tummy hurt from how much he was trying to hold in the pain, but he ignored it.</p>
<p>Eventually, the tears subsided, and Peter was simply dragging in the comfort for the longest he could. He knew that as soon as Morgan was present, the girl would be mad at him for being with Tony. Peter didn’t know how much more of her hatred he could take.</p>
<p>“Wanna come downstairs?” Tony asked after a while, not moving an inch. “Pep’s cooking dinner. We could watch some TV while we wait? A movie maybe? Whatever you want to do, kiddo.”</p>
<p>Peter wanted to. For old time’s sake. Tony used to watch movies with him all the time.</p>
<p>Peter missed it.</p>
<p>So, he nodded. A kiss was pressed to his temple before Tony moved, and Peter reluctantly pulled away so the man could stand. Then, he stood too, wiping his eyes and nose with red tinged cheeks. He opened his mouth to apologise, but Tony just shook his head and rubbed his knuckles soothingly.</p>
<p>“Don’t kiddo. You have nothing to be sorry for.” Tony smiled at him. Peter wasn’t sure if it was a trick of the light, but Tony’s eyes looked teary as well. “Come on.”</p>
<p>Peter let Tony guide him out from his bedroom. Well, it wasn’t even his bedroom. It was the guest room.</p>
<p>He missed going to the Compound. He missed going to the lab every Friday.</p>
<p>Peter hiccupped on a sob at the bottom of the stairs, his chest filled with pain. Tony rubbed his arm as they head into the living room, where Morgan was on the floor colouring in her colouring book. At their arrival, she looked up with a huge grin, which faltered when she saw Peter. Tony didn’t seem to notice as he sat down, pulling Peter down with him.</p>
<p>Peter couldn’t be bothered trying to act like he didn’t want the comfort. Instead, he curled into his mentor’s side and rested his head on the man’s chest.</p>
<p>“Daddy.” Morgan called out as Tony turned the TV on.</p>
<p>“Yes, sweetheart?”</p>
<p>“Can you colour with me?”</p>
<p>“Sorry, peanut, I can’t right now.”</p>
<p>Morgan’s face twisted into a small glare as she crossed her arms across her chest. Her behaviour just made Peter feel guilty. He was taking her Dad away, wasn’t he?</p>
<p>“Why?” She asked, her glare mirroring Tony’s when he was angry. Tony let out a small huff and handed Peter the remote.</p>
<p>“Pete and I are going to watch a movie before dinner. You’re welcome to watch it with us.”</p>
<p>“But I want to colour, Daddy.”</p>
<p>“Then colour, Morg. Petey’s not feeling well, and he wants to watch a movie.”</p>
<p>“Fine.” Morgan said and went back to her colouring. In the meantime, Peter picked Lady and the Tramp to watch, happy to settle into Tony’s hold for as long as he was allowed. He wanted to concentrate on the movie, but every now and then, he would notice Morgan glaring at him.</p>
<p>After dinner, Peter found himself in the same position, watching one of Morgan’s movies. Morgan sat with Pepper, arms crossed, dried tear tracks on her face. She’d thrown a tantrum because she didn’t want to watch the movie that Peter had picked, and it made Peter want to go home. He was just causing problems.</p>
<p>Tony had told him to just watch his movie, but Peter decided that Morgan should have her way.</p>
<p>Maybe it would make her like him.</p>
<p>Of course, it didn’t.</p>
<p>Peter went home the next day feeling worse than ever.</p>
<p>-</p>
<p>Two weeks pass, and it’s now a Saturday. Peter is back at the Stark residence, sitting in the living room with Pepper and Morgan. Tony was gone again to another meeting, and if Peter had known that before coming, he wouldn’t have. He didn’t want to bother Pepper and Morgan more than he already was.</p>
<p>But he hadn’t been able to come last weekend. He hadn’t seen Tony for two weeks.</p>
<p>So here he was, curled up in the corner of the couch, texting with Ned while Morgan played with her Barbies on the floor. Pepper was also in the room, typing away on her laptop, probably doing work for SI.</p>
<p>It had been alright until Pepper’s phone rang. The woman excused herself to answer it, and Peter was left alone with Morgan.</p>
<p>Peter kept to himself, right up until Morgan got up from her place on the floor and walked over to him.</p>
<p>“Why do you keep trying to steal my Daddy?”</p>
<p>For a four-year-old, her speech was really advanced. Makes sense, since she’s a Stark.</p>
<p>“I’m not.” Peter replied, stomach churning. “He’s your Dad.”</p>
<p>“Yeah.” Morgan agreed. “He’s not your Daddy. He’s mine!”</p>
<p>The words hurt. “I know, Mo.”</p>
<p>“Why do you keep coming?” Morgan asked, her scowl making Peter feel uncomfortable.</p>
<p>“Um…” Peter trailed and chewed on his lip for a moment. “I want to hang out with you and your Mom and Dad.”</p>
<p>“But they’re my Mommy and Daddy.”</p>
<p>Peter wanted to scream. “I know that.”</p>
<p>“They love me!” Morgan snapped. “Go home! I don’t like you!”</p>
<p>“I will. Don’t worry.” Peter opened his chat with May to tell her he wanted to come home. “I’m sorry.”</p>
<p>It was at that moment, Pepper walked in. When he looked at her, he was surprised to see a furious expression on her face. Whoever she had been talking to on the phone must have made her pretty angry.</p>
<p>“What are you two talking about?” She asked, her tone scarily level. Peter gulped. Had he done something to upset her?</p>
<p>“Nothing, Mommy!” Morgan beamed and headed back to her dolls. Pepper watched her, then shook her head a few times as if she were… disappointed? “Can you play with me, please?”</p>
<p>“Are you lying to me, Morgan?” Pepper asked and knelt down in front of her daughter. Peter watched on, a little confused. “What I heard you saying to Peter wasn’t very nice.”</p>
<p>
  <em>Fuck.</em>
</p>
<p>“It’s fine, Ms. Potts- uhm, Mrs. Stark,” Peter panicked, the formal name coming out on accident. He hadn’t called Tony and Pepper Mr. Stark or Ms. Potts for a long time. “She was just… joking.”</p>
<p>“It didn’t sound like a joke to me.” She turned back to Morgan. “Morgan Stark. I’m very disappointed in you. Would you like it if someone spoke to you in that way?”.</p>
<p>Morgan’s face immediately fell. It looked like she knew she was in trouble now.</p>
<p>“No, Mommy.”</p>
<p>“Exactly. I expect better from you.” Peter wanted to cry. This was his fault. He wasn’t supposed to be here. “Go to your room. I’ll come and talk to you later. I don’t think Daddy’s going to be too happy with you. You know it’s not nice to talk to people like that.”</p>
<p>Morgan burst into tears as she booked it, a slam of a door echoing throughout the house minutes later. Peter curled into himself, switching off his phone as he waited to get in trouble too. However, what he wasn’t expecting was for Pepper to sit down beside him and hold his hand.</p>
<p>“I’m so sorry, sweetheart.” She said, sounding like she was about to cry herself. “I can’t believe she would say something like that. Has this happened before?”</p>
<p>With burning eyes, Peter just nodded.</p>
<p>“Why didn’t you tell Tony or I?” Pepper asked, her thumb gently rubbing his knuckles. “How long?”</p>
<p>“Since I got back from... you know… dying.” Pepper gasped quietly. “I didn’t want to ruin things more than I already have.”</p>
<p>“What do you mean? You haven’t ruined a thing, honey. Tony and I love having you here, and I thought Morgan did too. We wouldn’t change anything; we love you so much. Did Tony ever tell you why he saved the universe?” Pepper asked, a sad smile on her face.</p>
<p>“No.” Peter replied.</p>
<p>“I’ll let him tell you.” Pepper cupped his cheek. “You could never ruin our family, Peter. You actually completed it. Tony never stopped thinking or talking about you while you were gone.”</p>
<p>“But Morgan is your child. And Mr. Stark’s.”</p>
<p>“So are you, baby.” Pepper shook her head at his words. “It doesn’t matter whether you’re biologically ours or not. You are our kid. May’s too. We all love you.”</p>
<p>“Why doesn’t Morgan like me?” Peter ended up asking.</p>
<p>“I don’t know. But I know she will, eventually.” Pepper continued to rub his cheek with her thumb. “She might be jealous. She’s never had to share her parents before.”</p>
<p>Peter nodded an shifted his gaze to his trembling hands. “Everything is so different.”</p>
<p>“I know. I can’t begin to imagine. It’s probably easier for you to talk about things like this with Tony, huh?” Pepper laughed a little and wrapped a comforting arm around his shoulders. “He’ll be home in a few hours. I’ll go talk to Morgan, okay?”</p>
<p>“M’kay.” Peter replied, a little sad when she stood up to leave. “Sorry.”</p>
<p>“This isn’t your fault.” Pepper shook her head, then pushed back a few of his curls. “I’ll be right back.”</p>
<p>As soon as Pepper was gone, he let a few tears slip. He laid down on the couch and hugged one of the cushions to his chest, wondering what Pepper could be saying to Morgan. Peter didn’t want her to get in trouble because of him.</p>
<p>Somehow, right there on the couch, he ended up crying himself to sleep before Pepper could return.</p>
<p>-</p>
<p>Peter awoke to someone rubbing his back. He had been having a nightmare, his entire body trembling as his eyes shot open. Someone shushed him as he sat up, chest heaving as he went through the aftershocks of the dream.</p>
<p>“You’re alright.” Peter flinched at the words. He remembered Tony saying them to him when he was dying. “Come here, kiddo.”</p>
<p>Peter let himself be embraced, happy to keep the tears at bay. He leant against Tony’s chest, wondering how long he had been asleep for. It must have been long enough if Tony was already home.</p>
<p>“Do you want to talk about it?”</p>
<p>When Peter shook his head, Tony didn’t push.</p>
<p>“So, Pepper told me about Morgan’s bad behaviour.” Tony said after a short moment, and Peter tensed. “Why didn’t you tell me?”</p>
<p>“She’s your kid.” Peter mumbled and began to fiddle with the zipper of Tony’s jacket. “I didn’t want to get in the way.”</p>
<p>“You’re my kid too.” Tony sounded like Peter had just told him he hated him. “You’re both my kids. You could never get in the way, and you never will. Pepper said Morgan’s being saying things like this since you came back?”</p>
<p>“Yeah. She missed you.”</p>
<p>“That doesn’t give her an excuse.” Tony sighed. “I’m going to have a long chat with little miss. She’s a bit too like me, I think.”</p>
<p>Peter smiled just slightly.</p>
<p>“It’s been a little while since we’ve talked like this.” Tony sounded sad. “I’ve missed you, kiddie.”</p>
<p>“Pepper said you’d tell me why you saved the universe.” Peter brought up his and Pepper’s conversation from hours before.</p>
<p>“I wasn’t going to do it, y’know. I didn’t think it was even possible.” Tony gently pushed Peter back so they could make eye contact. “I did it for you, buddy. I missed you so much while you were… gone. I couldn’t- I can’t live in a world without you. You’re my kid just as much as Morgan is.”</p>
<p>Peter could see the way Tony’s eyes welled up. It seemed to be the perfect opportunity to spill everything that had been on his mind for months.</p>
<p>“Everything is so different now.” Peter repeated his earlier words he had said to Pepper. “It’s been five years; I keep writing the wrong d-date even though it’s been months since I came b-back. Half my grade is gone, I missed your wedding!”</p>
<p>“The world’s never going to be the same.” Tony practically read his mind. “Those five years were both the worst and best years of my life. I had Pepper, Morgan, Happy and Rhodey, yeah, but I didn’t have <em>you</em>. The world was a bad place.”</p>
<p>“I know.” Peter muttered. “I researched.”</p>
<p>“You shouldn’t search for that stuff.”</p>
<p>Peter just shrugged.</p>
<p>“I miss our lab nights. I miss- I miss the Compound” Peter blurted when Tony didn’t say anything else. His throat began to close in as he remembered everything that had been so normal to him. Everything that felt like months ago, when really it had been years. Peter wasn’t he would ever be able to wrap his head around the five-year gap in his life. “I miss everything.”</p>
<p>“I miss it too, buddy.” Tony shifted, and Peter rested his head back on Tony’s shoulder when the tears started to fall again. Another thing that had come from the snap was that he was much more emotional than he had been before. “Maybe you can come over Friday nights? My lab here is pretty cool. We could go back to old times, order some pizza. Or we could have, I don’t know, a guy’s weekend at the Compound? Like we used to?”</p>
<p>The thought was appealing. “What about Morgan?”</p>
<p>“Mo and Pepper can have a girl’s weekend.” Tony rubbed his shoulder a few times. “Don’t worry about her for now.”</p>
<p>For the rest of the night, he and Tony just talked. When Pepper entered the room, she told them that Morgan was asleep, and they were free to do whatever. Peter was content for just snuggling and was happy when Pepper draped a blanket over him and Tony.</p>
<p>He fell asleep feeling <em>safe.</em></p>
<p>-</p>
<p>The next day, Peter awoke to a gentle tap tapon his shoulder.</p>
<p>Groggy, he opened his eyes, not expecting to see Morgan standing in front of him. He jumped from how close her face was to his, then rubbed his eyes and sat up.</p>
<p>“Hi Petey.” She shifted on the spot, something in her hands. Her eyes were filled with tears.</p>
<p>“Hey Mo.” Peter replied. She was avoiding eye contact now. “Are you okay?”</p>
<p>“U-um.” Morgan stuttered. “I m-made you a sorry card.”</p>
<p>Peter’s heart filled. “Did you?”</p>
<p>“Uh huh.” She lifted her hands; a huge card being thrust in her face. “Sorry for being a meanie. I just wanted my Daddy back.”</p>
<p>“You never lost him.” Peter said as he took the card, which shed a large amount of glitter on his bedsheets. He ignored that for the moment and opened the card. A genuine smile split his face as he looked at the messy drawing of four people, then some wonky handwriting. Even at four, Morgan was writing.</p>
<p>The names read Mommy, Daddy, Morgan and Petey. The blobs that were Pepper and Tony were holding hands, then the blob that was Morgan was holding Pepper’s hand. The other blob, Peter, was holding Tony’s.</p>
<p>On the other side was glitter covered, blocky letters that spelt <em>SORRY</em>.</p>
<p>“I love it. Thank you, Morgan.” Peter looked at the little girl, who was wringing her hands nervously in front of her.</p>
<p>“I’m sorry, Petey.” Morgan muttered. “Was… jea’ous.”</p>
<p>“It’s okay.” Peter felt a little warmer. He opened his arms. “Hug?”</p>
<p>He wasn’t expecting Morgan to hug him but was pleasantly surprised with an armful of toddler. Peter could’ve cried, but he held it in as his <em>sister</em> hugged him back.</p>
<p>When Morgan yanked him down the stairs to play with her dolls, Peter couldn’t have felt any happier. He caught Tony’s eye from the kitchen, who had the most genuine, loving look on his face. Peter smiled back, and soon he was on the floor with an armful of dolls. Just maybe, things would be okay.</p>
<p>If he ended up with a face full of makeup by the end of the day, no one needed to know.</p>
<p>By the time he was back home in his apartment, he felt ten times lighter.</p>
<p>Just maybe, things would turn out okay for him.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>feel free to comment any prompts</p></blockquote></div></div>
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